GV 

341 

.74^ 



Class ___Gi^!f/ 



Nature has done her best: do thou thine. 

Milton. 



BODY MECHANICS 
AND HEALTH 



BY 

LEAH C. THOMAS 

AND 

JOEL E. GOLDTHWAIT, M.D. 




HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY 

BOSTON NEW YOEK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO 

tCfic Saibergibc Settee Camitilige 



COPYRIGHT, 1922 

BY LEAH C. THOMAS AND JOEL E. GOLDTHWAIT 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



QTbe ^Rtbersitbe ^resist 

CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS 
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. 



© C1A692524 



PREFACE 



We believe that the highest aim of physical educa- 
tion is to develop human beings best fitted to cope 
with the conditions of modern civilization. If 
physical education is to accompKsh this purpose, 
it must be presented from a more fundamental 
basis than it has been in the past. The authors 
have come to this conclusion through wide obser- 
vation and through experience in directing physi- 
cal training in a school system of two thousand 
pupils. 

We are convinced that the day must come when 
the type of work here outlined is better standard- 
ized and more generally adopted by physical di- 
rectors and teachers. These same principles form 
the basis of corrective and individual gymnastics 
as taught by physio- therapists. When they are 
applied to larger groups it seems obvious that 
normal growth and development can eflFectively 
be gained through this particular approach to 
physical education. 

Body Mechanics and Health has been written in 
the hope that it may be of practical use to many 
who direct the physical education of the children 
in our schools, and that through the application 



6 



PREFACE 



of these principles the importance of our message 
will become more widely appreciated. 

Thanks are extended to Dr. Robert B. Osgood 
for his interest and assistance in the preparation 
of this work. 

L. C. T. 
J. E. G. 



INTRODUCTION 



By marguerite SANDERSON 

Boston School of Physical Education 

The eflBciency of the individual depends to a very 
considerable extent upon the way in which the 
body is used. The strong, erect figure is desired 
not only for military fitness, but is being de- 
manded more and more in industry, as well as 
being recognized as the basic element of health. 

The real purpose of physical education should 
be to obtain this ideal. To those who have stud- 
ied the matter carefully, it must be realized that 
many of the systems of physical education in 
vogue result in excellent coordination of the mus- 
cles without obtaining the best body mechanics. 
It is the common experience to see a class execute 
most complex drill with the body in fairly good 
poise as the special exercise is being performed, 
but to see the members of the class relax as soon 
as the exercise is over into positions that are any- 
thing but ideal. As with the army the results 
were the only thing considered, the technique 
mattering not so long as the results were good, so 
with systems of exercise, each must be judged by 
the results obtained. 



8 



INTRODUCTION 



The principles embodied in this book are sound 
and the average of the results from the applica- 
tion of such principles should be good. Too much 
emphasis cannot be placed upon the development 
of the trunk muscles, especially those of the abdo- 
men, as a basic necessity of good posture, and it is 
in this special feature in which most of the sys- 
tems of gymnastics are weak. 

In order to develop an efficient body it is essen- 
tial to train habits of good posture, and to teach 
the fundamental principles of how to use the body 
correctly at work or at play. 

These principles are of especial interest to 
teachers of physical education, although this 
book should be of great assistance to all interested 
in education as a whole, and its simplicity will 
make it easy of use for the highly trained person 
as well as those who with limited training are still 
expected to do work of this nature. 



CONTENTS 

I. General Views of Physical Education . .13 
II. Rest . 2S 

III. The Value of Lying Exercises .... 32 

IV. Sitting 35 

V. Standing 40 

VI. Round Shoulders 57 

VII. Feet 61 

VIII. Types 66 

IX. Conclusion 74 

X. Progressive Exercises 75 

1. Chest-Breathing 75 

2. Abdominal Retraction 78 

3. Tall Walk 84 

4. Rib-Stretching 87 

5. Trunk-Bending 89 

6. Lateral Abdominal Contraction ... 92 

7. Round Shoulders 97 

8. Feet 98 

9. Rib-Breathing 102 

Typical Day's Order 

I. Lying List . . . . . . . .106 

11. Standing List 107 

III. Progressive Standing List . • . . 109 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



1 

1. 


Correct Standing Position . . . Frontispiece 




Incorrect Standing Position ..... 


14 


O 

o. 


Bad Posture of Gymnasium Class .... 


21 


4. 


rroon PosTURF. OF Ctymnasium Class 


22 


5. 


T?An Po^turf for Pflay Race ..... 


23 


6. 


Good Posture for Relay Race .... 


23 


7. 


TFt^TTTFTTr' P)AlVrF; R \D PoSTURE .... 


24 


8. 


TiVTivr^ TTypfrfxtfn'stot'J' Position .... 


30 


9. 


Correct Sitting Position 


36 


10. 


Incorrect Sitting Position 


36 


11. 


Sitting — Correct Bending Forward . 


37 


12. 


Sitting — Incorrect Bending Forward 


37 


13. 


Normal Skeleton showing Line of Gravity . 


41 


14. 


Outline of Skeleton in Relaxed Position 


41 


15. 


Normal Rib and Pelvic Inclination 


46 


16. 


Abnormal Rib and Pelvic Inclination 


46 


17. 


Skeleton showing Abdominal Retraction Exer- 


48 


18. 


Skeleton showing Abdominal Retraction Ex- 
ercise with Lumbar Curve flattened 


48 


19. 




50 


20. 


Rib-Stretching Exercise — Side View 


50 



12 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



21. Normal Type 66 

22. Thin Type 67 

23. Heavy Type 67 

24. Thin Type showing Slender Back .... 68 

25. Heavy Type showing Broad Back .... 68 
20. Abdominal Retraction Exercise .... 80 

27. Abdominal Retraction Exercise with Lumbar 
Curve flattened .80 

28. Correct Tall Walk . 85 

29. Incorrect Tall Walk 85 

30. Standing — Correct Bending Forward . . 91 

31. Standing — Incorrect Bending Forward . . 91 



BODY MECHANICS 
AND HEALTH 



I 

GENERAL VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 

Good body mechanics means the correct poise 
and control of the body with the normal func- 
tioning of every organ. It is our aim to bring 
before physical directors and teachers the im- 
portance of good body mechanics and to give a 
practical set of exercises which concentrate on 
the normal development of the torso. We believe 
the value of arm and leg exercises is greatly over- 
rated, and in consequence are too prevalent in 
the present day's order. 

No attempt has been made to cover special 
corrective cases, such as curvatures, but only to 
emphasize the serious results of faulty posture 
which is intimately associated with ill-health 
and inefficiency of the body. Until the majority 
of men and women are brought to the highest 
standard of physical fitness, bur physical educa- 
tion system fails to fulfill its purpose. That it 
has fallen short of the desired end seems evident 



14 VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



from a survey of a representative group of college 
students. General fitness and highest physical 
eflBciency are suggested in the type of man chosen 
for competitive athletics. (Fig. 1.) With this 

figure it is evident that 
not one ounce of energy is 
wasted because of undue 
strain from imperfect poise. 
Contrast this with Fig. 2. 
Actual statistics show that 
eighty per cent of the men 
in the freshman class of a 
leading university fall far 
below the normal standard 
of development. In view of 
this a department for special 
posture work has been or- 
ganized. If this means that 
more than half of the men 
in a college freshman class 
are not fit subjects for a 
football team, if more than 
half are not desirable can- 
didates for the crew, if more 
than half would not be per- 
mitted to enter an institu- 
tion such as West Point where men are selected 
in view of physical eflBciency, certainly little credit 




Fig. 2. Incorrect standing 
position 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 15 



is due our present-day system of physical educa- 
tion in preparatory schools. We are far from 
proud of the large number of men classed by our 
War Examining Boards as ''physically unfit" for 
service. The strong, healthy, well-built men in 
our country should be the predominating type 
rather than the exception. The failure to de- 
velop such men is due partly to the lack of un- 
derstanding of the fundamental principles of good 
health and partly because schools of physical 
education and colleges place too much emphasis 
on the methods of teaching and too little empha- 
sis on practical methods of health-building. 

A brief consideration of the varied character of 
the work required of the human body may help 
us to appreciate the importance of proper body 
mechanics. Not only is the human machine one 
of extremely delicate adjustment or balance, but 
in its use greater variation is demanded in the 
character of the work performed than would be ^ 
considered possible in any other conceivable 
mechanism. Not only are the muscles subjected 
to varying degrees of strain, but all the visceral 
functions, as well as the higher mental processes, 
require an adjustment of the organism as a whole 
which must make possible wide latitude in the 
amount of energy that each part can reasonably 
use. Not only must the amount of energy to be 



16 VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



expended vary, but the method of use of any pa 
must also vary, since, for example, the body mu; 
be used not only in one plane, but in any possib 
plane in which it may be placed. The viscer 
functions, as well as the physical activities, mu 
be possible whether the body is erect or pron 
whether straight or flexed, whether in dors^ 
dextra, sinistra, or anterior decubitus, and mar 
of the functions must go on whether the conscioi 
control of the organism, such as exists in the wa 
ing hours, is present or not. With so much 
adjustment necessary and with such great dive 
sity in the character of the work required, it 
obvious that all necessary friction or strain shou 
be eliminated so that the greatest amount 
energy may be available for the accomplishme 
of the special task, and at the same time t] 
machine may not be damaged, or, in other wore 
that the health of the individual may not be ii 
paired." 

Universally physical education is associat( 
with exercise in many different forms, such 
gymnastics, dancing, athletics, and games, i 
far as the interest of the professionally traini 
person is concerned, exercise oftentimes dissolv 
itself into some one particular form. The sp 
cialized teacher in aesthetic dancing aims to pr 
duce an almost perfect dance from a technic 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 17 



standpoint. The same is true of a specialized 
teacher in folk-dancing. The teacher of formal 
gymnastics approaches his work from an educa- 
tional standpoint. The teacher of games has the 
welcomed recreational viewpoint from which to 
start. The average public school physical educa- 
tion teacher follows as nearly as possible the old 
time-honored Swedish day's order. More than 
the accustomed number of arm and leg exercises 
are of necessity introduced. These do not begin 
to approach the ideals of the teacher, not to men- 
tion the needs of the children, because they are 
restricted by the construction of the schoolroom. 

The following theory breaks away from the old 
technique of exercise and traditional ideas, such 
as supposing that all exercise is good, beneficial, 
and healthful. It is not. The most fundamental 
and at present a most unappreciated fact is the 
value of the proper mechanical working of the 
body. Until a person understands good body 
mechanics and has gained the correct muscular 
coordination, chiefly of the abdomen, chest, and 
back, exercise is of little benefit and often is harm- 
ful. If a person is taught how to correct his own 
bad posture and aims to make a good posture 
habitual, he has gained more than the benefits 
from, many strenuous exercises taken with the 
body poorly poised. Little will be gained from 



18 VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION v 



a half-hour of strenuous exercise with the body 
held in the best possible position if the remaining 
twelve or fourteen hours of the day are spent with 
the body badly poised. ''When the body is used 
rightly or fully erect, the feet, knees, hips, spine, 
shoulders, head, and all portions which represent 
the frame of the body, are used in balance, with 
the greatest range of movement possible without 
strain. In this position, the chest is held high and 
well expanded, the diaphragm is raised, and the 
breathing and heart action are performed most 
easily. The abdominal wall is firm and flat, and 
the shape of the abdominal cavity resembles an 
inverted pear, large, and rounded above, small 
below. The ribs have only a moderate down- 
ward inclination. The subdiaphragmatic space 
is ample to accommodate the viscera. In this 
position, also, there is no undue pressure upon, or 
interference with, the pelvic viscera or with the 
large ganglia at the back of the abdomen and in 
the pelvis." On the other hand, ''if the body is 
drooped or relaxed, so that the shoulders drag 
forward and downward, the whole body suffers, 
the weight is thrown imperfectly upon the feet, 
so that the arch must be strained; the knees are 
slightly sprung, which shows by the crepitating 
joints; the pelvis is changed in its inclination, with 
strain to the sacro-iliac joints and low back. In 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 19 



this position the chest is necessarily lowered, the 
lungs are much less fully expanded than normal, 
the diaphragm is depressed, the abdominal wall 
is relaxed so that with the lessening support of the 
abdominal wall, together with the lowering of the 
diaphragm, the abdominal organs are necessarily 
forced downward and forward. (Fig. 14.) It is 
by such an understanding of the conditions, with 
the appreciation that the stomach and liver can- 
not work rightly if the ribs are contracted and 
narrowed so that there is practically no subdia- 
phragmatic space; that the pelvic organs cannot 
work rightly and must be congested if the loose 
abdominal organs are crowded into the lower 
abdomen and pelvis, so that the nutrition must 
suffer, and the physiology in general must be 
abnormal if the anatomic conditions under which 
the physiological function is expected to be per- 
formed are so markedly abnormal." (Figs. 2 and 
14.) If physical education does not lead to func- 
tional development, it fails to build a founda- 
tion for future health. 

This work demands teachers who recognize the 
importance of body mechanics as a foundation 
for their work. It is possibly the only phase of 
corrective work which can be carried on satis- 
factorily in groups. Where can one not find a 
gymnasium class in which a large part of its mem- 



20 VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



bers is standing in a poor posture, stretching the 
arms sideward, upward, forward, and downward, 
energetically exercising the biceps which is suffi- 
ciently exercised in the daily use of the arm. The 
physical training period should be devoted to the 
development of trunk muscles which are the key- 
notes to good posture, and in our daily lives are 
not usually brought properly into action. Unless 
this is done, the neck, abdominal, back, and leg 
muscles are apt to be out of proper balance, re- 
sulting in poor mechanics. This viewpoint ap- 
peals to the adult much more than to children. 
A mature mind understands what is to be accom- 
plished and the value of the end result. Children 
prefer to play games. They like folk-dancing. 
They like the group spirit. However, the ideal 
time for posture training is in childhood, in the 
habit-forming years, when wrong mechanics are 
more easily prevented than cured. If taught in- 
dividually or in small groups, children at the age 
of five or six will understand the correct posture 
well enough to gain most satisfactory results. 

Who has not seen a class (Fig. 3) doing ex- 
cellent work from an educational standpoint? 
Should not the individuals first be taught to 
stand correctly, to use the body to the best advan- 
tage with the least expenditure of energy? Let 
the educational work follow and results will be 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 25 



portion between the size of chest and shoulders 
and development of their legs. These people do 
one thing well at the expense of other things. 
Equal development of all parts is more desirable. 
Soldiers many times have too high a chest with an 
increased lumbar curve. This may account for 
many cases of the flat feet so commonly found in 
the army. In the same way the round shoulders 
may well be due to the improper carrying of 
packs. 

The rules and principles for acquiring and 
maintaining the proper mechanics of the body in 
its anatomic correct position are so few and so 
simple they offer little excuse for neglect in this 
work. Emphasize, stand tall, head up, chin in, 
chest high, abdomen flat, weight on balls of feet. 
Never overcorrect the chest, which tends to carry 
the shoulders too far back and to increase the 
lumbar curve, causing the body weight to fall on 
the heels. Always consider the body as a whole. 
Do not look only at a localized deformity because 
its causes and results are too far-reaching, often- 
times working round in a vicious circle. De- 
parture from the normal poise causes abnormal 
strain. It must be appreciated that while the 
chief effect of the strain may show most markedly 
in one part, nevertheless, the whole body under 
such circumstances must be affected. 



26 VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 



The exercises compiled in the following chap- 
ters develop a coordination of the trunk muscles 
giving the body proper muscular balance, with 
the ideal in mind of ultimately developing an 
habitual]}^ well-poised body. Training acrobats 
to perform stunts or training a small group of 
men to run a race in the shortest possible amount 
of time is not the most worthy calling in the phys- 
ical training profession. Such training fails to 
prepare the human machine for the stress and 
strain of our present-day busy lives. The aim 
should be to develop the highest physical effi- 
ciencj^ for the largest possible number of people. 
The ability of the physical director should be 
judged by his knowledge of body mechanics as 
an essential in his technical training. This work 
has been tried sufficiently to prove that if it 
formed the foundation of all physical education, 
our present system would be more effective in 
developing stronger and healthier men and 
women. Not onlj^ is the physical side of our 
nature important, but also it must be recognized 
that there is a definite relationship between the 
mental and physical powers. Generally speaking, 
men and women possessing great mental efficiency 
have physical strength back of it. We do not 
mean necessarily great muscular development, 
although the physical strength of Abraham Lin- 



VIEWS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION 27 



coin and Theodore Roosevelt were admittedly 
great assets to their intellectual careers. On the 
negative side we find that in different classes of 
human beings, such as the moron, the feeble- 
minded, and the idiot, there is a certain ratio 
between their mental and physical control with- 
out which control no efiiciency is attainable. The 
degree of physical coordination and control obvi- 
ously increases with increased mental develop- 
ment. Our conviction is strong that with the 
ideal posture and practiced control the physical 
powers are at their best, the mental functions 
performed most easily, and the personality or 
spirit of the individual possesses its greatest 
strength. 



II 



REST 

Rest may well be called "nafural therapeutics/' 
Physiological as well as mechanical rest is im- 
portant enough to demand serious attention. 
Nature's powers are great to repair sources which 
have suffered exhaustion — to renovate bodily 
strength and to restore mental vigor. Rest and 
growth are so closely associated that they appear 
on superficial view to stand in relation to each 
other as cause and efi^ect. The child who sleeps 
much thrives best. The wakeful, restless child 
seldom displays the evidence of active nutrition. 
In infancy development is in its highest state of 
activity, and it is at this time that the healthy 
child passes the greater portion of its life in a 
state of rest and sleep. Rest and sleep are com- 
ponent parts of growth. Repair is but a repeti- 
tion of growth. Children show signs of loss of 
rest much more quickly than older people, which 
suggests a greater demand for rest in childhood 
than in adults. 

All organs as well as the brain require the alter- 
nate condition of activity and rest to keep them 
vigorous and in health. If the necessary amount 



REST 



29 



of rest is not acquired, structural changes and 
deterioration of function are sure to follow. In 
reference to the etiology of the disease of indi- 
vidual organs, it may be asserted that a large 
proportion of their diseases originate in circum- 
stances which deprive the organ of rest which is 
necessary for the performance of its healthy func- 
tion. 

For conserving energy and maintaining good 
posture, change of position is necessary. It is 
not natural for children or adults to keep one 
position. This instinct to move about is checked 
in the schoolroom. Note in the first and second 
grades the seemingly unlimited amount of nervous 
energy each child is expending simply to meet the 
requirements of the classroom. This suppression 
of the natural activities of children in the school 
is one of the most important causes of fatigue 
noticed so often in children, especially in the 
lower grades. The practicability of frequent 
short periods of free play is recognized rather 
generally. For physiological reasons a still 
better method of counteracting this undesirable 
nervous tension is by short rest periods in pre- 
scribed positions. Two fifteen-minute rest pe- 
riods each day are desirable, five-minute periods 
are better than none. Aim to prevent fatigue, 
which in children is an important cause of bad 



so 



REST 



body mechanics. Since muscles never pick up if 
fatigued, rest in many cases is more beneficial 
than exercise. The position when resting should 
be with the child lying upon a flat surface, hands 
behind neck with elbows touching the flat surface. 
In this position take at least ten breaths with the 
mouth closed. We believe that the health of 
school-children would be really benefited if some 




Fig. 8. Lying hyperextension position 

space, preferably in the fresh air, could be pro- 
vided for this purpose. 

A more corrective position, and one which is 
especially helpful for dropped shoulders and hol- 
low chest, is the hyperextension position. (Fig. 
8.) A small pillow placed under the back so that 
its thickest part is under the middle of the dorsal 
curve will expand the lower ribs. The diaphragm 



REST 



31 



is raised to the extreme. This position should be 
continued until the lower ribs have not only been 
raised, but until they have flared suflBciently to 
change the costal angle from an acute angle to at 
least a right angle, if not an obtuse angle. This, 
at once, assures the space in the upper abdomen 
under the ribs in which normally the stomach and 
liver lie. In time this position becomes very 
restful. The value of rest periods should be ap- 
preciated suflBciently to make them part of the 
school-day program and should be continued over 
a course of two years or even longer. 



Ill 

THE VALUE OF LYING EXERCISES 

In the lying position exercises are taken with a 
minimum amount of weight bearing. The down- 
ward sag of the organs is also relieved. There is 
practically no resistance against gravity, and with- 
out muscular effort the different parts of the body 
are held in their relatively normal positions. 
For these reasons when lying it is possible, with 
the least expenditure of energy, to gain coordina- 
tion of definite muscle groups which are further 
developed in the sitting and standing exercises. 
Emphasis is placed on strengthening the ab- 
dominal muscles, rib-stretching exercises, and cor- 
rect breathing. Lying exercises precede sitting 
or standing exercises whenever there is lack of 
sufficient muscle tone to hold the body in the 
correct upright position or whenever there is 
improper coordination of the muscle groups. 
Many times the person with strong, well-built 
muscles has poor coordination, with the result 
that the body is incorrectly balanced. In such 
cases the coordination of the muscles already 
developed is more valuable than strenuous exer- 
cises to gain increased muscle tone. It must be 



VALUE OF LYING EXERCISES 33 



remembered that exercises do not necessarily 
mean motion or action, such as running, walking, 
or even calisthenics. This is particularly true in 
the development of trunk muscles where the 
range of motion is so limited. 

The following exercises are at first difficult if 
executed correctly. The amount of action is not 
great, but the ability to coordinate the trunk 
muscles is necessary before progressive posture 
exercises can be given. This type of exercise, 
both lying and standing, has the same efi^ect of 
increasing the circulation and respiration as more 
strenuous exercise. Ten minutes of the proper 
kind of exercise is more beneficial than an hour of 
active exercises less carefully chosen. 

A precept which teachers find difficult in illus- 
trating, and which many times remains vague in 
the minds of students, is the consciousness of 
postural control. There has been furnished a 
definition of ''refiex muscular tonicity" as that 
slight constant tension which is characteristic of 
healthy muscles. ''Mechanical tension" is a 
fairly literal meaning. By Dr. Johannes Muller 
the term ''tonus" was employed to denote a cer- 
tain steady slight contractile tension which he re- 
garded as the characteristic condition of normal 
skeletal muscles when not engaged in the per- 
formance of any specific act. He thought this 
slight steady tension the outcome of an influence 



34 VALUE OF LYING EXERCISES 



continually imparted from the nerve-centers of 
cord and brain. Dr. C. S. Sherrington, in his 
article on "Postural Activity of Muscle and 
Nerve/' states that the condition of constant 
slight contraction, which is reflex and not con- 
scious action, is confined to those muscles which 
maintain the animal in an erect position. This 
reflex postural contraction is characterized by: 

1 . The low degree of tension it usually develops. 

2. The long period for which it is very com- 
monly maintained without obvious fatigue. 

Possibly the mild intensity of the contraction 
maintaining posture is the explanation of the 
relative immunity from fatigue exhibited by pos- 
tural as compared with ordinary contraction. 
In this same article Dr. Sherrington says, "Re- 
flex maintenance and adjustment of posture is a 
chief portion of the reflex work of the proprio- 
ceptive system, just as sensation of a perception 
of posture is a chief portion of the psychical out- 
put of that system." 

Beyond this reflex physiological functioning^ 
there must be developed a consciousness of con- 
trol over the voluntary postural muscles. This 
control is not present at first, but is best gained 
with practice if the student realizes that definite 
motor paths must be opened which are present, 
but which up to this time have not fallen within 
the conscious control. 



SITTING 



39 



A prominent child specialist makes the state- 
ment that poor postures in children cause gas, 
abdominal pains, and chronic constipation. Con- 
sidering the number of hours each week children 
sit in school bending over ill-fitting desks, one can 
readily see the necessity of the correct sitting 
position throughout their growing years. 

To summarize : The three sitting positions are : 

1. Upright. 

2. Bending forward (working). 

3. Bending backward (resting). 

In these positions there is no change in the rela- 
tion of the different parts of the trunk. 

Sitting is more restful than standing, because 
by support of the chair the muscles exert much 
less energy than in holding the body erect. The 
heart also works less against gravity. 

Before an exercise is taken, here again let us 
emphasize that for some people it is more difficult 
to assume the correct sitting position than to take 
the exercise. In such cases the ability to assume 
the correct sitting position is more valuable than 
the exercise. Hence, in certain cases the starting 
position should be emphasized rather than the 
exercise. 



V 



STANDING 

Good body mechanics means the correct poise 
and control of the body with the normal function- 
ing of every organ. The correct position in stand- 
ing or walking is with the head well back, chin in, 
the chest raised as if lifted forward-upward, the 
abdomen flat, and the weight borne chiefly upon 
the balls of the feet. (Fig. 1.) 

"In the erect position the pelvis is placed ob- 
liquely with regard to the trunk of the body; the 
bony ring, which forms the brim of the true pelvis, 
is placed so as to form an angle of about sixty to 
sixty-five degrees with the ground on which we 
stand. In consequence of the obliquity of the 
pelvis the line of gravity of the head, which passes 
through the middle of the odontoid process of 
the axis and through the points of junction of 
the curves of the vertebral column to the sacro- 
vertebral angle, descends toward the front of the 
cavity, so that it bisects a line drawn transversely 
through the middle of the heads of the thigh 
bones. And thus the centre of gravity of the head 
is placed immediately over the heads of the thigh 



STANDING 



41 



bones on which the trunk is supported." ^ 
13.) 

Each person pre- 
sents a problem in 
himself, so far as 
anatomic details are 
concerned, but for 
practical purposes 
we can standardize 
the correct erect pos- 
ture, making it ap- 
plicable to all per- 
sons. An habitually 
correct standing po- 
sition demands, at 
first, a conscious 
control of the trunk 
muscles which are 
not commonly used 
correctly in the daily 
routine of work. 
This conscious con- 
trol is difficult to 
acquire. It is gained 
gradually and comes 
only with constant 
application. The 
arm and leg muscles normally get a great deal of 
^ Gray's Anatomy, 



Fig. 13 Fig. 14* 

Fig. 13. Normal skeleton showing 
line of gravity. Fig. 14. Outline of 
skeleton showing relaxed position. 



42 



STANDING 



exercise and should not be overdeveloped, as is 
often-times done in gymnasium, or, for example, 
in training acrobats. The mechanical difficulties 
of the erect position are: 

1. Weak muscles. 

2. Strained joints. 

3. Gravity. (Equilibrium of body is a con- 
stant muscle force.) 

An important though non-mechanical difficulty 
is ignorance of correct position. 

Systematic training is essential to correct poor 
posture. Aim to gain two objects: 

1. Muscular sense (feel right). 

2. Muscular strength (to hold correct position). 

Standing is more fatiguing than walking. The 
muscles and ligaments when standing are put on 
a continued strain without relief. Even the heart 
itself is by no means freed from effort in main- 
taining the erect position. Walking is next most 
fatiguing because muscles alternately contract 
and stretch. Walking is good exercise, but there 
is more fatigue in walking in proportion to effort 
expended than in any other exercise. Poise is 
kept chiefly by muscle balance, and undue fatigue 
should be prevented by avoiding muscle strain 



STANDING 



43 



from improper adjustment of different parts of 
the body. 

The muscular coordination gained in the lying 
exercises forms the foundation and beginning 
point on which the standing exercises are based. 
For example, emphasis in the lying exercise is 
placed on the abdominal muscles. In the stand- 
ing exercises, emphasis will be made on the proper 
control of the abdominal muscles plus the simul- 
taneous contraction of the gluteal muscles. First 
consider the skeleton, later the control of definite 
muscle groups. The normal spine is a flexible 
rod bent in three curves in the antero-posterior 
plane, convex forward in the cervical and lumbar 
regions, convex backward in the dorsal region. 
These curves develop with age and become fixed. 
Muscle relaxation causes three variations in these 
curves. (Fig. 14.) 

Cervical 1. Forward shoulders — the displace- 
ment of the shoulder girdle. 

Dorsal 2. Round back — increase in dorsal 
curve with which is always associated 
displacement of shoulder girdle. 

Lumbar 3, Round hollow back — increase in 
both dorsal and lumbar curves — 
commonly designated by term "sway- 
back." 



44 



STANDING 



Starting from these as keynotes, the spine has 
four weak points at which motion occurs. They 
are: 

1. Sacro-lumbar juncture. 

2. Lumbo-dorsal juncture. 

3. Dorso-cervical juncture. 

4. Atloid-occipital juncture. 

The segments of the spine between these junc- 
tures have a definite relation to each other in their 
arc of motion, and when in their proper relation 
the body is so well poised that the muscle groups 
are pulling equally on all sides. When relaxation 
occurs the tendency is to give way' in one or more 
of these junctures. 

Joints are held in place by muscles and liga- 
ments. If the muscles are not brought properly 
into play, the ligaments soon become strained and 
form a poor support for the joint. When liga- 
ments are strained, they lose their elasticity and 
there occurs not only a change in the relation- 
ship between the bones, but also a marked change 
in the muscle tone. By ''muscle tone" is meant 
the certain amount of muscular contraction 
demanded at all times without which the body 
would collapse. On the other hand, through the 
acquirements of conscious muscular control these 
joints and segments can be held in their proper 



STANDING 



45 



relation and the strain on joints and ligaments 
avoided. 

If the three curves in the spine are normal the 
spinal segments are in their proper relation and 
the weight-bearing line is normal. If one or more 
curves are increased, the segments are out of their 
proper relation and the weight-bearing line is not 
true. The farther one gets away from the normal 
weight-bearing, the greater is the instability of the 
spine. In giving exercises for general develop- 
ment, or even corrective exercises, the spine 
should be considered as a whole. For explana- 
tion, however, the three curves will be considered 
separately. 

Lumbar Curve 

For physiological and anatomical reasons it is 
important to prevent an increased lumbar curve. 
An increase in the lumbar curve is associated with 
an increase in the pelvic inclination. A flatten- 
ing of the lumbar curve is associated with a di- 
minished pelvic inclination. (Figs. 15, 16.) The 
normal inclination of the pelvis is important 
because with every variation from the normal of 
the body in the upright position, the pelvic 
inclination must vary. An increased lumbar 
curve causes: 



46 



STANDING 



1. A forward-downward tipping of the pelvic 
diameter, which in turn interferes with the 




Fig. 15. Normal rib and pelvic Fig. 16. Abnormal rib and 
inclination pelvic inclination 



normal function of the pelvic and abdomi- 
nal organs. 

2. A strain on the sacro-lumbar and sacro- 
iliac joints. 



STANDING 



47 



S. General poor posture resulting in the ''sway- 
back type" with sunken chest, head for- 
ward, protruding abdomen, with body 
weight falling on the heels. 

An exercise to decrease the lumbar curve is the 
abdominal retraction exercise as follows: 

Starting position: Hands at side — stand with 
heels four inches from wall; 
hips, shoulders, head, touching 
the wall. 

Exercise: Flatten the lumbar spine 

against the wall by simultane- 
ously contracting the abdom- 
inal and gluteal muscles. The 
pelvis rotates through the hip 
joints. 

Explanation: Tightening the abdominal and 
gluteal muscles tends to draw 
the buttocks down and the 
coccyx slightly forward. Keep 
the buttocks against the wall. 
(Figs. 17, 18.) 

Dorsal Curve 

An increased dorsal curve results in the ''round 
back type," which is hard to correct because of 
the stiffness of the dorsal spine due to the rib 



48 



STANDING 



attachments. The dorsal spine is also affected 
by the position of the chest. (Fig. 14 — note 

downward incli- 
nation of the 
ribs.) The stomach 
and liver cannot 
work rightly if 
the ribs are con- 
tracted and nar- 
rowed so that 
there is practi- 
cally no subdia- 
phragmatic space. 
Many times the 
ribs are nar- 
rowed at the bot- 
tom, producing 
an acute angle at 
the border of the 
costal cartilages 
at the xiphoid. 
Rib-stretching and 




Fig. 17 



Fig. 18 



Fig. 17. Skeleton showing abdominal hanging CXCrcisCS 
retraction exercise. Fig. 18. Skeleton mUSt be COn- 
sh owing abdominal retraction exercise j ..| 

, , n -, tmued until the 

with lumbar curve flattened 

lower ribs have 
not only been raised, but until they have flared 
suflBciently actually to bring about a perma- 



STANDING 



51 



mal positions. ''The stomach and liver are 
attached to the diaphragm, and the suspensory 
ligament of the diaphragm is the pericardium, 
especially of the right side, which is finally at- 
tached to the anterior part of the lower cervical 
spine." 

Because of this anatomic make-up it is possible, 
by simply correcting the position of the head, to 
raise the diaphragm, stomach, and liver one inch 
or more. If the diaphragm is lowered as a result 
of the habitually forward position of the head, the 
movement of the diaphragm in respiration must 
be less than normal. The effect of this upon the 
breathing, as well as upon the circulation, espe- 
cially in the large abdominal veins, to say nothing 
of the function of the other organs, must be 
apparent. In correcting the position of the head, 
it is necessary to draw the head back muscularly, 
not simply tilt it back. The effect of a good car- 
riage of the neck and head is more important and 
more impressive than the erect carriage of any 
other part of the body. It is an important factor 
in conveying an impression of efficiency and spirit. 
An exercise to accomplish this is as follows : 

Starting position: Stand with back against wall. 
Exercise: Draw the chin down and in as 

if pressing the cervical spine 



52 



STANDING 



against the wall. Stretch up 
tall. 

Explanation: The pull should be felt between 
the shoulder blades. 

To review and combine the exercises correcting 
the three curves of the spine: 

First: Standing away from the wall — jflatten 
the lumbar curve as described in the ab- 
dominal retraction exercise. 

Second: Raise the chest forward-upward, bring- 
ing the tip of the sternum on a line in 
front of the pubic bone. (Fig. 13.) The 
forward-upward lifting of the chest tends 
to throw the weight on the balls of the 
feet. 

Third: Draw the chin in — stretch up tall as if 
balancing a weight on the head. 

The combination of these three exercises forms 
a foundation for progressive exercises which are 
varied according to the deformity or needs of the 
individual. 

One or two balance exercises should be prac- 
ticed each day along with the regular work. 
They are of value in gaining the greatest possible 
amount of muscular coordination, and with this 
coordination one develops a sense of proper poise. 



STANDING 



63 



For example : Flatten the lumbar spine (page 47) ; 
then raise the ribs as emphasized on page 49. 
Stretching tall, walk on tiptoe on a straight line. 
While taking this exercise one is conscious of an 
upward stretch of the spine, particularly through 
the dorsal region. In this position the weight of 
the strain of carrying the superimposed segments 
of the body is taken off the lower spine and the 
line of gravity of the body falls on the balls of the 
feet. If this same weight-bearing line is main- 
tained when walking ordinarily, there exists the 
sensation of springing slightly each step, and the 
body moves steadily forward rather than swaying 
from side to side with a heavy tread caused by the 
weight falHng on the heels. 

"In the upright position, the poise or attitude 
in which there is the least strain, and consequently 
the correct attitude, is with the body held so that 
it is made as tall as is possible without rising on 
the toes. In this position the head is erect, the 
shoulders are carried so that their center is dis- 
tinctly posterior to the center of gravity, the 
chest is high, the abdomen is flat, and the spinal 
curves are slightly convex backward in the dorsal 
region and convex forward in the lumbar region. 
The pelvis is inclined forward so that the axis 
from the promontory of the sacrum to the top of 
the pubic bone is downward and forward thirty 



54 



STANDING 



degrees from the horizontal, the incHnation of the 
sacrum being downward and backward so that 
the axis of the pelvis is at right angles with the 
plane of the brim of the pelvis, or about sixty 
degrees from the horizontal. In this position the 
anterior portion of the upper part of the sacrum, 
together with the last lumbar vertebra, is almost 
directly over the top of the great trochanter, or a 
little posterior to the center of the hip joint. In 
this position the Y ligament is made tense as well 
as the iliopsoas muscle, these two structures serv- 
ing to prevent the pelvis from lessening its for- 
ward inclination. In this position the hamstring 
muscles are tight, giving support to the knees as 
well as preventing an increase in the forward 
inclination of the pelvis. The knees are straight 
and the weight is received at the foot upon the 
astragalus with the posterior calf muscles tight, 
so that the heel rests lightly and the chief strain 
is thrown upon the ball of the foot. The poste- 
rior calf muscles are tense, the result being that 
the posterior tibial and peroneus longus by their 
contraction hold the tarsal bones in place, the 
foot thus being in the position of greatest strength, 
while the flexor muscles of the toes hold them in 
contact with the floor, giving a stable base and 
rendering the forward propulsion of the body 
possible with the least effort. 



STANDING 



55 



''The muscles of the trunk in this position are 
in such balance that while the anterior and pos- 
terior groups are in slight contraction, neither 
group is strained and but few of the ligaments are 
under tension. The shoulder is slightly back of 
the lateral median line of the body so that the 
weight is received largely upon the thorax, none of 
the muscles being in more than slight contraction, 
and the strain upon the posterior muscles which 
must occur when the shoulder is held forward is 
absent. The head is held erect and so balanced 
that while all of the muscles, the anterior, poste- 
rior, and lateral, are in slight contraction, each 
group is properly balanced by the others and none 
are subjected to more work than they can easily 
perform. With the body so poised, not only is 
there the least possible expenditure of energy 
required for the maintenance of the position, but 
it is from this position that action is made most 
easily. All of the parts are in balance, so that 
whatever the movement, whether it concern 
chiefly one part or another, the start is made with 
no waste of energy in correcting the poise or 
'gathering one's self preparatory to the action." 

The following exercises develop a sense of co- 
ordination and strengthen the trunk muscles. 
They are designed to — 

1, Elevate the chest. 



56 



STANDING 



2. Spread the ribs. 

3. Increase the intercostal angle. 

4. Give the viscera as much room as possible 
by lifting the diaphragm. 

5. Strengthen the anterior abdominal wall. 

6. Strengthen the lateral abdominal wall. 

7. Carry head erect with chin in. 

8. Carry weight on balls of feet. 

9. Increase splanchnic circulation by dia- 
phragmatic breathing. 

The correct standing position to be assumed 
before an exercise is taken is now understood to 
be : head up — chin in — chest up and forward 
over toes — with emphasis on contracting the 
abdominal and gluteal muscles to decrease the 
lumbar curve. For some people at first the 
effort simply to gain this position will be as diffi- 
cult as an exercise, and for these people the ability 
when gained to assume a correct position will be 
more valuable than exercise. Hence it is im- 
portant to note that in certain exercises the start- 
ing position is more valuable than the exercise, 
while in more advanced work the exercise is more 
important because the correct position is retained 
without undue effort. 



VI 

ROUND SHOULDERS 

One of the most common deformities seen in 
children and often in adults is that which is de- 
signated by the terms ''round shoulders," or 
''stooped shoulders." The principal cause of 
round shoulders is weak muscles due to — 

1. Traumatism or joint lesions. 

2. Infantile paralysis. 

3. Occupations. (The carpenter's back is a 
type.) 

4. Conditions which produce strain and lead to 
mental fatigue: 

a. Rapid growth. 

b. Overwork. 

c. General debility. 

d. Improper school furniture. 

e. Improper hygiene at home. 

f. Acute illness. 

g. Imperfectly fitting clothes. 

With adults the problem is a serious one, but in 
childhood this condition concerns chiefly the prob- 
lem of attitude. To the physical instructor the 
interest lies in preventing such a deformity rather 
than seeking a cure for it. 



58 



ROUND SHOULDERS 



(Fig. 22.) The round-shouldered child needs 
no introduction to teachers. To show that this 
condition is more nearly associated with the 
general attitude of the body than with simply a 
departure from the normal shoulder girdle, we 
quote the following from Dr. Robert W. Lovett's 
book on round shoulders:^ ''In general the atti- 
tude is familiar, the head is carried forward and 
is somewhat flexed, the physiological curve in the 
dorsal region is increased and the dorsal region 
unduly prominent behind, in which backward 
curve the lumbar region may share, or there may 
be also an increased lumbar curve forward. The 
shoulders are drooping and the chest narrow and 
flat, while the scapulse behind are prominent in 
their posterior borders and the inferior angles 
may stick out markedly (scapulse alatse). The 
abdomen is prominent and the pelvic inclination 
varies. Flatfoot or pronated foot frequently 
coexists." Round shoulders may be postural or 
structural. Postural round shoulders is the type 
which lies within our ability to prevent and 
correct. 

The muscular development of children with 
round shoulders is usually below par; hence pos- 
ture or any condition which results in the forward 

1 Dr. Robert W. Lovett, Lateral Curvatures of the Sjrine and 
Bound Shoulders. 



ROUND SHOULDERS 59 



inclination of the body would increase the tend- 
ency of the shoulders to drag forward, even more 
than in healthier children, and consequently 
increase the strain on the posterior muscles. If 
this strain is continued, the back muscles become 
weaker, allowing greater increase in the dorsal 
curve with a compensatory increase in the lumbar 
curve. Hence the body assumes an attitude 
which is far from the normal balance or poise. 
We now have a disturbance from the feet upward 
which can be changed only by the correction of 
the feet, spinal, and shoulder positions at the 
same time. In fact, if the normal relation be- 
tween the feet, spine, thorax, and head exists, the 
round shoulders will as nearly approach their 
normal positions as is possible by self-correction. 

In some cases of round shoulders, not only do 
the pectoral muscles contract, but also the ser- 
ratus muscles, in which case the rib-stretching 
exercises are of great value. The lying hyper- 
extension position is excellent for such cases. 
What has been said in Chapter V (''Standing") 
applies equally as well to the correction of pos- 
tural round shoulders. In both the correction of 
a faulty attitude is essential. Exercises especially 
adapted for the correction of round shoulders have 
been designated. We feel certain that if the 
work under Chapter V (''Standing") were car- 



60 ROUND SHOULDERS 



ried out during childhood, the problem of round 
shoulders would be reduced to a minimum. 

The present method of supporting a child's 
clothing by a loose waist, which transfers the 
weight of the clothes (sometimes as heavy as four 
pounds) to the movable tips of the shoulder, is 
conducive to round shoulders. The remedy is 
found in a waist in which the pull comes at the 
base of the neck instead of at the tips of the 
shoulders. 



VII 



FEET 

Faulty weight-bearing is a national problem. 
Flat-footedness was a prevalent cause for unfit- 
ness in the army and it is an important problem in 
civilian life as well. One factory of ready-made 
arch supporters claims to sell three thousand pairs 
each month to shoe-stores. This shows a demand 
by the public. Seventy-seven per cent of the un- 
dergraduates at Wellesley College have faulty 
weight-bearing lines. American public schools 
show the same large percentage. This is an 
important question in relation to the efficiency of 
the race, that should be attacked in public schools. 
The problem of the physical director is to prevent 
foot strain, weak feet, and flat feet rather than 
seek a cure. The end to be worked for is the 
habitually correct mechanical use of the feet. 

''The foot has two arches formed by small 
bones and maintained by ligaments and muscles. 

1. Longitudinal arch. 

2. Transverse or anterior arch. 

Neither arch has any true keystone and would 
fall of its own weight if not held by ligaments and 



62 



FEET 



muscles. The sustentaculum tali is a prop on the 
inner side of the oscalcis which prevents most 
feet from pronation. Muscular anatomy is the 
most important factor in maintaining proper 
weight-bearing lines. Muscles controlling the 
position of the foot are in three groups : 

1. Adductors — determining relation of astrag- 
alus to oscalcis. 

a. Anterior tibial. 

b. Posterior tibial. 

c. Flexor longus hallucis. 

d. Flexor longus digitorum. 

2. Abductors — tending to turn out and de- 
press long arch. 

a. Peroneus longus. 

b. Peroneus brevus. 

c. Peroneus tertius. 

3. Intrinsic muscles — bow strings to long 
and t ran verse arch. 

a. Flexor brevis. 

b. Muscles of anterior arch. 

Any improper relation of strength of these muscle 
groups causes potential foot-strain. The principal 
causes of foot-strain are as follows: 

1. Increase of weight. 

2. Changes of occupation — demand more 
hours on feet. 



FEET 



63 



3. Acute illness — weight-bearing suddenly 
ceased and suddenly begins. 

4. Debility from chronic illnesses and nervous 
overtire. 

5. Stretching of ligaments supporting arch 
(not due to diminished constitution, but to 
faulty attitudes, improper gait, lack of 
muscle balance, deforming shoes). 

The relation of foot skeleton to leg skeleton is 
such that, uninfluenced by ligaments and muscle 
pulls, the normal line of weight-bearing falls on 
the inner side of the foot and tends to depress the 
longitudinal arch." ^ Hence any exercise which 
aims to raise the arch by strengthening the intrin- 
sic muscles and roll the weight on the outer border 
of the foot is beneficial. 

" The astragalus receives the weight of the body 
and the oscalcis is fixed by its position on the 
ground; therefore, any change in the weight-bear- 
ing line must be controlled by the relation of the 
astragalus to the oscalcis. Strain is most com- 
monly seen when oscalcis and astragalus change 
relation. Strain can be detected by tenderness 
on the calcaneo-scaphoid ligament. There is no 
relation between the height of the arch and 
strength of the foot. 

^ Dr. Robert B. Osgood, Pathologic and Symptomatic eight- 
Bearing — A Consideration of the Prevention and Cure of Foot" 
i^tfain. 



64 



FEET 



"Because of the bony and muscular anatomy, 
the foot has diflBculty in maintaining its proper 
mechanics. If the abductor group of muscles is 
stronger than the adductor, toeing outward is 
favored. The weight-bearing line falling to the 
inner side of the foot favors pronation. Any 
contraction of the tendo Achillis induces a val- 
gus position, and a shortened tendo Achillis 
favors foot-strain." 

There is, however, a certain muscle balance 
which must be worked for or maintained. The 
adductor group should always be stronger than 
the abductor. This is best accomplished by the 
type of exercises which follow. There is, without 
question, an intimate connection between flat feet, 
debility, and visceroptosis. 

High heels have always received well-merited 
censure. The hyperextension of the feet compels 
the trunk to be thrown back while the knees are 
slightly flexed. It has been proven when walking 
in high heels there is comparative inaction of the 
muscles of the legs and feeto This results in less 
nutrition and less perfect circulation through 
the legs and feet. High heels upset the archi- 
tectural balance of the feet and legs and the 
effect of the incorrect attitude is felt in the spine 
and pelvis. High heels induce and aggravate 
lordosis. They may temporarily relieve strain of 



TYPES 



67 



by all. The heavy type with shoulders broad and 
square, the skeleton large, with muscles strongly 
built, the joints less flexible and the spinal motion 
less free than the normal type. In contrast to 
this is the slender type with slight figure, the long, 




Fig. 22. Thin type Fig. 23. Heavy type 



narrow trunk, muscles slender, and marked flex- 
ibihty throughout the body. There is also the 
intermediate normal type. 

Because of the difference in anatomic structure, 
each type has potentials of certain abnormalities. 



68 



TYPES 



For example: The formation of the vertebrae of 
the slender type is different from that of the 
heavy type. (Figs. 24, 25.) The normal type 
falls midway between these two. To emphasize 
an important point, we find in the slender type 




Fig. 24. Thin type show- Fig. 25. Heavy type show- 

ing slender back ing broad back 



that the spine is smaller in size than the normal 
and the lumbar vertebrae are like the so-called 
normal dorsal vertebrae in shape, the body being 
of about the same width laterally as it is deep 



TYPES 



69 



antero-posteriorly. Occasionally one may find 
even six vertebrae in the lumbar region with the 
full number of sacral vertebrae, and in these cases 
this is one of the reasons for the greater propor- 
tionate length of the body. The articular pro- 
cesses tend to be of the flat (not crescentic) type. 
Because of this formation, the lumbar spine is 
much more flexible than the normal type. It 
is this anatomic type from which the fancy 
dancer, the hurdlers, and the acrobat are devel- 
oped. 

In the heavy type the spine is broad and heavy 
throughout, but in the lumbar region this is espe- 
cially noticeable. The lumbar region is short, 
and here we may occasionally find only four 
lumbar vertebrae, and also because the sacrum is 
set well down between the wings of the ilia. The 
lateral diameter of the vertebral bodies in this 
region is considerably greater than the antero- 
posterior, the articular processes are strong and 
large and almost always of the crescentic type. 
The transverse processes are long and broad, and 
the last lumbar frequently forms an articulation 
with the sacrum. It is this anatomic type from 
which the heavy football players are chosen and 
men suited for hammer-throwing and shot- 
putting. 

Because of this formation of the lumbar verte- 



70 



TYPES 



brae the slender type has a tendency greatly to 
increase the lumbar curve with increase in the 
pelvic inclination. Therefore the slender type 
needs emphasis on the pelvic tilt. In the heavy 
type the weak point is found at the dorso-lumbar 
joint, in which case rib-stretching and chest- 
raising exercises are more important than flat- 
tening the low back. 

The slender spine is more flexible, the joints 
more loosely held together, and the thin slight 
muscles not so well adapted to form the proper 
support as in the heavy type with strong, firm 
muscles and thickset joints. Therefore, a greater 
number of weak backs and greater increased 
curves occur in the slender type than in the heavy 
type. 

Backaches are many times caused by an over- 
riding and impingement of the spinous processes 
due to hyperextension of the spine when standing. 
(Fig. 17.) This in not too severe cases may be 
corrected by flattening the lumbar spine, thus 
separating these processes and making the in- 
creased curve more nearly approach the normal. 
(Fig. 18.) An exercise to accomplish this is the 
abdominal retraction. (Page 47.) 

Because of the clinical significance of viscerop- 
tosis and because the majority of delicate children 
fall within this so-called carnivorous class, a 



TYPES 



71 



detailed study of this type is necessary. Statis- 
tics show that sixty per cent of the high-school 
boys of Worcester were of this class, and as a 
class they represented bad posture, poor muscles, 
poor nutrition, poor teeth, prominent abdomens, 
and ptosis. 

Dr. Robert B. Osgood pictures concisely the 
visceroptotic. To quote: ^ ''Congenital in its 
nature, associated in a large percentage of cases, 
as Dr. Bryant's autopsy records prove, with a 
narrow chest, abdominal intestinal adhesions, and 
probably frequently with ilial stasis, it is a recog- 
nizable anatomical fact. The stomach is small 
and low, J-shaped, and far to the left. The liver 
is small and low, vertical and far to the right. 
The small intestine is small and short, fifteen to 
twenty feet or less. The colon is long with a low 
hepatic flexure, a high splenic flexure, and the 
transverse portion with a long, low loop, probably 
with a long mesentery. There is a typical posture 
and relaxed abdominal wall." (Fig. 22.) 

Dr. Bryant's records prove that these individ- 
uals are strikingly susceptible to tuberculosis, 
insanity, pellagra, leprosy, and carcinoma, and he 
suggests that the position of the viscera may 

^ Dr. Robert B. Osgood, *'What Evidence can be brought for- 
ward to show that Visceroptosis is anything more than a Variation 
from the Anatomic Norm and is of frequent Causative CHnical 
Significance?" 



72 



TYPES 



account in part for this susceptibility, and that 
these five diseases seem to be diseases due prob- 
ably primarily to faulty nutrition. Despite the 
varied opinions of doctors as to the cause of or 
best means of relieving visceroptosis, one interest- 
ing fact is noted. In every instance some men- 
tion is made of the relation between this condition 
and mechanical defects. 

Dr. Osgood further states that ''Definite types 
of posture and relaxed abdominal walls must 
favor a sagging of the viscera. It would surely 
seem that derangements of this sort must predis- 
pose in time to faulty action of the viscera, since 
mechanical conditions are altered, and altered in 
ways which do not suggest mxore favorable action 
or improved function." 

Dr. James Warren Sever, in a studj^ to deter- 
mine the location of the stomach in relation to 
posture, drawls the conclusion that neither poor 
posture nor impaired general health are causes 
of ptosis. He mentions, ''In treating such cases, 
nevertheless, it is obvious that poor posture 
should be corrected, and impaired general health 
built up." 

Dr. John Bryant writes: "It seems evident that 
this problem of posture should be attacked during 
the child's period of growth since after study 
along this line it becomes evident that the same 



TYPES 



73 



developmental peculiarities found in adults can 
also be demonstrated in children. Hence the 
primary problem lies not in the adult, but in the 
child." The treatment of ptosis, Dr. Bryant 
claims, is essentially non-surgical, and ''any ap- 
proach to a cure is only reached through weeks 
and months of medical or orthopedic care during 
which body form must be altered, posture cor- 
rected, and diet regulated to stimulate a natural 
organotherapy . ' ' 

To emphasize the importance of the mechanical 
readjustment, we have quoted from a few of the 
leading doctors who have spent much time in 
study along this line. It seems obvious that not 
only is this postural work important in such cases, 
but fundamentally the principle applies as well 
to all children of all types. To what higher ideal 
can our physical educators aspire than to aim 
to prevent future illness in the hope that the 
children of our country may live healthier and 
happier lives? 



IX 



CONCLUSION 

Physical education should be founded on the 
principles of body mechanics if the highest degrees 
of health and efficiency are to be attained. In 
order to make this possible there must be a change 
in the present program or daj^'s order of the 
typical gymnastic lesson. 

At first it may seem radical, but not too radical, 
it is hoped, to suggest that the lesson is quite 
complete if divided into two parts : 

1. Formal exercises. Aiming especially to 
develop trunk muscles. 

2. Game. Allowing recreation, freedom of 
motion, and relaxation. 

The value of educational gymnastics, dancing, 
athletics, and sports of all kinds is fully appre- 
ciated, but such exercise should not be carried on 
at the expense, or in many cases to the total 
neglect of more fundamental development. This 
fundamental development is now understood to 
mean the acquiring of good habits of correct body 
mechanics. 



X 



PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 

I. Chest-Breathing 

No attempt has been made to compile a complete 
list of exercises for any group or groups of muscles. 
Fundamental exercises only are here described, 
but many more difficult exercises can readily be 
given after these are accomplished. 

Progression in the following exercises is made 
by a change in the starting position. 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Lying — hands behind neck — 
elbows on table — raise chest 
and hold chest high while 
breathing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles; exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: Since the diaphragm and the 
anterior abdominal w^alls should 
coordinate their action through 
the respiratory center, the con- 
traction of the diaphragm and 
relaxation of the upper anterior 



76 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



abdominal muscles should occur 
together, the abdominal wall 
being pushed outward by the 
pressure of the diaphragm trans- 
mitted through the abdomen. 
At expiration, by contraction 
of the upper abdominal muscles 
the intra-abdominal pressure is 
transmitted to the diaphragm, 
stimulating it to relax. 



Exercise II 

Starting position: Sitting — hands on hips — raise 
chest high and hold chest high 
while breathing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles; exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 

Exercise III 

Starting position: Standing — hands on hips — * 
raise chest high and hold chest 
high while breathing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles; exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 



CHEST-BREATHING 77 



Exercise IV 

Starting position: Hands behind neck — raise 
chest high and hold chest high 
while breathing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles, exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 

Exercise V 

Starting position: Standing — hands at side. 

Exercise: Rising on toes, raise the arm.s 

forward-upward (angle 45 de- 
grees) and inhale; lower the 
heels and arms and exhale. 

Explanation: When the arms are raised the 
body should be in the same 
position as tall walk exercise 
(page 85). In this position the 
diaphragm works to the best 
possible advantage. This exer- 
cise is supposed to be distinctly 
beneficial in increasing the cir- 
culation of the legs and deep 
abdominal veins. It is of value 
in cases of varicose veins. 



78 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



2, Abdominal Retraction 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Lying — hands at sides — 
knees bent — feet resting on 
table. 

Exercise: Flatten the lumbar spine 

against the table by contracting 
the abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: To JBatten the lumbar spine the 
inclination of the pelvis must 
be diminished. By contracting 
the abdominal muscles thus 
straightening the lumbar curve 
against the table, the whole 
pelvis rolls so that the end of 
the spine (coccyx) is raised 
slightly from the table. The 
pelvis rotates through the hip 
joint. Do not put weight on 
the feet. This is a strong 
abdominal exercise and devel- 
ops the ability to diminish the 
pelvic inclination and leads to 
the accomplishment of a simi- 
lar exercise when standing. 



ABDOMINAL RETRACTION 81 



Exercise IV 

Starting position: Standing, hands at sides — = 
flatten the lumbar curve as 
described in Exercise III. 

Exercise: Hold this position while walk- 

ing forward. 

Explanation: The pelvis is held at its correct 
inclination; hence the lumbar 
curve is normal. \Yith the 
chest raised forward-upward, 
the lower spine is relieved of the 
strain of carrying the super- 
imposed body segments. This 
is, for the majority of the 
people, a most important pos- 
tural corrective exercise. 

Exercise V 
Starting position: Lying — hands back of neck — 
knees straight — flatten the 
lumbar curve against the table 
by contracting the abdominal 
muscles and rolling the pelvis 
as described in the lying abdom- 
inal retraction exercise. (Page 
78.) 

Exercise: Bend one knee over chest; 



82 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



straighten leg upward; lower 
slowly, keeping knee straight 
and back flat against table. 
Alternate. 

Explanation: This is a strong abdominal 
exercise. The abdominal mus- 
cles are brought into play not 
only by the leg action, but also 
in an attempt to hold the pelvis 
in this position. 

Exercise VI 

Starting position: Lying — hands back of the 
neck — knees straight. Flat- 
ten the lumbar curve against 
the table by contracting the 
abdominal muscles and rolling 
the pelvis as described in the 
lying abdominal retraction ex- 
ercise. (Page 78.) 

Exercise: Raise leg; lower slowly keeping 

back flat. Alternate. 

Explanation: This is a strong abdominal exer- 
cise, involving all the abdom- 
inal muscles. 

Exercise VII 
Starting Position: Lying — hands behind back 



ABDOMINAL RETRACTION 83 

— flatten the lumbar spine 
against the table by contract- 
ing the abdominal muscles and 
rolling the pelvis as described 
in the lying abdominal retrac- 
tion exercise. (Page 78.) 
Raise one leg; lower slowly 
six times, keeping back flat. 
Alternate. 

This exercise involves all the 
abdominal muscles. 

Exercise VIII 
Starting position: Lying — hands at sides — flat- 
ten the back against the table 
by contracting the abdominal 
muscles and rolling the pelvis as 
described in the lying abdominal 
retraction exercise. (Page 78.) 
Exercise: Bend both knees over chest — 

straighten legs upward; lower 
slowly one-half distance to ta- 
ble, then bend knees — keeping 
back flat against table. 
Explanation: This exercise defeats its purpose 
if the lumbar spine is allowed to 
curve while the legs are being 
lowered. 



Exercise: 



Explanation: 



84 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Exercise IX 

Starting position: Sitting on floor — knees straight 
' — hips — shoulders — head 
touching wall — flatten the 
lumbar spine against wall. 

Exercise: Raise one leg; lower; then raise 

other leg; lower. 

Explanation: The abdominal muscles are 
brought into play in the at- 
tempt to hold the back flattened 
against the wall. In this posi- 
tion, alternate leg raising is 
extremely diflScult. 

3. Tall Walk 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Standing — hands behind neck 
— flatten the lumbar curve as 
described in abdominal re- 
traction exercise. (Page 79.) 

Exercise: Hold this position while walking 

on tiptoe on straight line. 

Explanation: The added upward stretch of 
the ribs and dorsal spine, be- 
cause of change in position of 
the hands makes this a much 
more diflBcult exercise than 



RIB-STRETCHING 87 



should not be stretched directly 
upward because in this position 
the tendency is to increase the 
lumbar curve. 



Exercise III 
Starting position: Stretch arms forward-upward 
as if reaching; contract the 
abdominal and gluteal muscles 
flattening the back, stretch up 
chest and ribs — head up — 
chin in. 

Exercise: Bend one knee upward — 

straighten leg forward — step. 
Bend other knee — straighten 
leg forward — step. 

Explanation, See Exercise 11. This is a diffi- 
cult balance exercise. It is 
known as the turkey walk." 

4. Rib-Stretching 

Exercise I 
Starting position: Lying — hands at sides. 
Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs and stretching intercostal 
muscles on one side; repeat 
same on opposite side; then 
raise both shoulders elevating 
ribs as much as possible. 



88 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Explanation: Stretching the ribs helps to gain 
flexibihty in the dorsal spine, 
which is necessary before prog- 
ress can be made in standing 
exercises. Spreading the lower 
ribs increases the intercostal 
angle, which is an important 
factor in lessening the inclina- 
tion of the ribs when standing. 
Rib-stretching exercises are of 
great value, and if practiced cor- 
rectly will increase the antero- 
posterior and lateral diameters 
of the thorax. 

Exercise II 

Starting position: Lying — raise arms over head 
and grasp end of table — flat- 
ten the lower back by contract- 
ing the abdominal muscles. 

Exercise: Pull on one arm sufficiently to 

feel an upward stretch on ribs 
and through the dorsal spine. 
Repeat same on opposite side, 
then pull equally on both arms 
to stretch ribs simultaneously 
on both sides. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 



RIB-STRETCHING 89 



Exercise III 
Starting position: Sitting — hands on head. 
Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs on one side; repeat same on 
opposite side; then raise shoul- 
ders equally to elevate ribs 
simultaneously on both sides. 
Explanation: See Exercise 1. 

Exercise IV 

Starting position: Standing — hands behind neck. 

Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs on one side; repeat same on 
opposite side; then raise shoul- 
ders equally to elevate ribs 
simultaneously on both sides. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. (Figs. 19 and 
20.) 

5. Trunk-Bending 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Sitting on forward half of chair 
— hands on hips — feet flat on 
floor — straighten the lumbar 
curve. 

Exercise: Bend trunk forward. 

Explanation: To bend the trunk forward, the 



90 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



pelvis rotates through the hip 
joint. By holding the lumbar 
curve fixed, there is practically 
no motion in this region. When 
bending in the hip joint the 
relative position of the pelvis, 
thorax, and spine is not changed. 
In other words, the pelvis, 
thorax, and spine move as one 
solid structure. Bending for- 
ward as described prevents 
motion at the lumbo-sacral 
joint, which many times is the 
weakest point in the spine and 
where no motion should take 
place. (See Figs. 11 and 12.) 



Exercise II 

Starting position: Standing — hands on hips — 
— straighten the lumbar curve. 



the gluteal muscles must be 
strongly contracted in order to 
hold the pelvis in its correct 
relation to the trunk. See 
Exercise I. (See Figs. 30 and 



Exercise: 
Explanation: 



Bend the trunk forward. 
When straightening the trunk 



31.) 



LATERAL CONTRACTION 93 



dominal muscles is at first hard 
to gain, but when proficiency in 
this exercise is obtained, there 
is a decided contraction of the 
trans versaHs. This exercise is 
of value in strengthening the 
lateral abdominal wall and 
making the dorsal spine flexible 
by raising the ribs. 

Exercise II 

Starting position: Lying — hands behind neck. 

Exercise: Raise one hip by a strong con- 

traction of the side abdominal 
muscles. Alternate. 

Explanation: There is little motion in this 
exercise, but the whole pelvis 
is raised diagonally upward on 
one side, then the other side. 
Strengthening the lateral ab- 
dominal muscles is as important 
as developing the anterior ab- 
dominal muscles. 

Exercise III 
Starting position: Sitting — hands on head. 
Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs — hold this upward stretch 



94 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



position and then contract side 
abdominal muscles. Alternate. 
Explanatioji: See Exercise I. 

Exercise IV 

Starting position: Standing — hands at sides. 

Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs — hold this upward stretch 
position and then contract side 
abdominal muscles. Alternate. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 

Exercise V 

Starting position: Standing — hands behind neck. 

Exercise. Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs — hold this upward stretch 
position and then contract side 
abdominal muscles. Alternate. 

Explanation: The added upward stretch of 
the ribs and dorsal spine be- 
cause of the position of the 
hands makes this exercise much 
more diflScult than Exercise IV. 

Exercise VI 
Starting position: Lying on right side — stretch 
arms forward shoulder high — 
flatten the lumbar curve by 



LATERAL CONTRACTION 95 



contracting the abdominal and 
gluteal muscles. Raise right 
leg upward — lower — repeat 
same on opposite side. 
Explanation: With the pelvis held in this 
position the contraction of the 
side abdominal muscles is easily 
detected because these, with 
the tensor fascia femoris and 
gluteii, are the muscles brought 
into play when the leg is raised. 

Exercise VII 
Starting position: Lie over edge of table face 
down — feet on floor — stretch 
arms over head and grasp sides 
of table — raise legs backward 
on level of spine — heels to- 
gether. 

Exercise: Carry legs to right — then left 

— continue alternating sides. 

Explanation: The lateral motion of the pelvis 
should be slight, but there is a 
decided strong contraction of 
the lateral abdominal muscles. 
By the upward stretch of the 
arms the ribs and dorsal spine 
receive a beneficial upward pull. 



96 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Exercise VIII 

Starting position: Standing — hands on head — 
flatten the lumbar curve and 
stretch up ribs. 

Exercise: Bend the trunk left — repeat 

same to right. 

Explanation: The upward stretch of ribs 
should be held firmly through- 
out the exercise, and when 
bending the trunk there should 
be a conscious contraction of 
the left side abdominal muscles 
and a strong upward pull on the 
ribs of the opposite side. 

Exercise IX 
Starting position: Hanging — carry legs slightly 
forward to flatten the lumbar 
curve. 

Exercise: Raise left hip contracting side 

abdominal muscles — repeat 
same on right side. 

Explanation: Carrying legs forward makes 
this a strong abdominal exercise 
and allows the contraction of 
the lateral abdominal muscles 
to be made with the pelvis held 



ROUND SHOULDERS 97 



in its correct position. Many 
progressive hanging exercises 
can be developed from this 
suggestion. They are difficult 
if the pelvic roll position is 
maintained through the exer- 
cises. 

7. Round Shoulders 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Lie over edge of table — face 
down — feet on floor — clasp 
hands behind back. 

Exercise: Roll shoulders backward. 

Explanation: In this one-half prone-lying 
position the difficulties of the 
upright position are overcome. 
The shoulder blades should ap- 
proximate each other. Roll- 
ing the shoulders backward 
stretches the pectoral muscles 
and brings into play the pos- 
terior shoulder muscles. 

Exercise II 



Starting position: Standing — clasp hands behind 
back — flatten lumbar curve 
— chest well over toes. 



98 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Exercise: 
Explanation: 



Roll shoulders backward. 
The upper back and especially 
the shoulder muscles are 
brought into play. The pec- 
toral muscles are stretched. 



Exercise III 
Starting position: Stand facing corner of room. 

Place hands at shoulder height 
against walls — fingers point- 
ing in w^ard. 

Exercise: Rise on toes — then force chest 

into corner — keeping elbows 
shoulder high. 

Explanation: During this exercise it is most 
important to keep the low back 
flat. Do not allow the hips to 
sag forward. The conscious 
motion should be at the shoul- 
der girdle. A strong pull is felt 
across the chest. The abnor- 
mal forward curve of the dorsal 
spine present in these cases is 
diminished. 



8. Feet 

Exercise I 
Starting position: Sitting on table 



feet raised 



FEET 



99 



slightly from floor — toes point- 
ing inward. 
Exercise: Curl toes. 

Explanation: Curl the toes under as if grasp- 
ing a small marble. This exer- 
cise brings into play the intrin- 
sic muscles of both the longi- 
tudinal and transverse arches 
and the flexor longus hallucis. 

Exercise II 
Starting "position: Sitting on table — raise feet 
slightly from floor — knees 
straight. 

Exercise: Foot circumduction. 

Explanation: Point toes downward — inward 
— upward. When drawing feet 
upward curl the toes under as 
much as possible to raise the 
arch and bring into play the in- 
trinsic muscles, and more im- 
portant still, the adductors. 

Exercise III 
Starting position: Standing — hands on hips — 

toes pointing inward. 
Exercise: Rise on toes, lower heels slowly 

keeping weight on outei border 

of feet. 



100 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Explanation: When practicing standing foot 
exercises the correct body bal- 
ance IS as important as the foot 
exercises. Rising on toes and 
lowering heels slowly should be 
accomplished with the body 
held well poised and not al- 
lowed to sway. 

Exercise IV 

Starting position: Standing — hands on hips. 

Exercise: Walk on tiptoes on line, point- 

ing toes inward. 

Explanation* Walking on tiptoes brings the 
plantar muscles into correct 
action. Pointing toes inward 
tends to throw the weight on 
outer half of feet, thus raising 
the longitudinal arch. 

Exercise V 
Starting position: Standing — hands on hips — 
feet parallel — one half inch 
apart. 

Exercise: Roll weight on outer border, at 

the same time curling toes 
under. 

Explanation: Rolling the weight on the outer 



FEET 



101 



border places the foot in the 
best possible position to allow 
the adductors and intrinsic 
muscles to be contracted when 
curling toes. 

Exercise VI 
Standing — hands on hips. 
Walk on straight line — heel of 
forward foot touching toe of 
rear foot each step. 
If the weight is thrown on the 
outer border of the feet and the 
body held well poised, this is a 
diflScult foot as well as balance 
exercise. 

Exercise VII 
Starting position: Sitting. 

Exercise: Curl toes under and pick up 

small marble from floor. 

Explanation: Place the marble in the left 
hand from right foot and right 
hand from left foot. In addi- 
tion to the intrinsic muscles 
active in grasping, the adduc- 
tors are strongly brought into 
play. 



Starting position: 
Exercise: 

Explanation: 



102 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



Exercise VIII 
Starting ^position: Standing on towel with feet 
parallel a short distance apart. 
Curl toes under, grasping towel 
— then draw toes inward — 
keeping heels apart. 
This strongly brings into play 
the intrinsic muscles and ad- 
ductors. 



Exercise: 



Explanation: 



Exercise: 



Explanation: 



Exercise IX 
Starting position: Sitting — place a tape under 
the ball of foot, holding end of 
tape in each hand. 
Pull strongly on tape so as to 
flex the ankle to stretch the 
tendo Achillis. 

While stretching the tendon the 
toes should point inward. The 
value of this exercise lies in the 
added passive stretch to the 
tendon beyond the range of 
possible active motion. 

9. Rib-Breathing 

Exercise I 

Starting position: Lying — hands on ribs — 
spread ribs apart and hold ribs 



RIB-BREATHING 103 



immovable while breathing 
deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles, exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: Since the diaphragm and the 
anterior abdominal muscles 
should coordinate their action 
through the respiratory center, 
the contraction of the dia- 
phragm and the relaxation of 
the upper abdominal muscles 
should occur together, the ab- 
dominal wall being pushed out- 
ward by the pressure of the dia- 
phragm transmitted through 
the abdomen. At expiration, 
by contraction of the upper 
abdominal muscles the intra- 
abdominal pressure is transmit- 
ted to the diaphragm, stimu- 
lating it to relax. The differ- 
ence between this and the lying 
rest breathing exercise is the 
starting position. In the lying 
rest breathing exercise the an- 
tero-posterior diameter of the 
thorax is expanded. In this 



104 PROGRESSIVE EXERCISES 



exercise the lateral diameter is 
expanded. 

Exercise II 
Starting position: Sitting — hands on ribs — 
spread ribs apart and hold 
them immovable while breath- 
ing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles, exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 

Exercise III 
Starting position: Standing — hands on ribs — 
spread ribs apart and hold ribs 
immovable while breathing 
deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper abdom- 

inal muscles, exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 

Explanation: See Exercise I. 

Exercise IV 

Starting position: Standing — hands behind neck 
— spread ribs apart and hold 
them immovable while breath- 
ing deeply. 



RIB-BREATHING 105 



Exercise: 



Explanation: 



Inhale and relax upper abdom- 
inal muscles, exhale by con- 
tracting abdominal muscles. 
See Exercise I. 



! 

TYPICAL DAY'S ORDER 
I. Lying List 

1. Lying Rest-Breathing 

2. Lying Abdominal Retraction 

3. Lying Rib-Stretching with Lateral Contraction 

4. Lying Alternate Leg-Raising 

5. Lying Rib-Breathing 

A brief description of the above exercises is as 
follows : 

1. Starting position: Lying — hands behind neck 

— elbows on table — raise 
chest and hold chest high 
while breathing deeply. 
Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting abdominal mus- 
cles. 

2. Starting position: Lying — hands at sides — 

knees bent — feet resting on 
table. 

Exercise: Flatten the lumbar spine 

against the table by contract- 
ing the abdominal muscles. 

3. Starting position: Lying — hands at sides. 
Exercise: Raise one shoulder spread- 



LYING LIST 



ing ribs apart — hold this 
upward stretch position and 
then contract side abdom- ^ 
inal muscles. Alternate. 

4. Starting position: Lying — hands back of neck 

— knees straight — flatten 
the lumbar curve against the 
table by contracting the ab- 
dominal muscles and rolling 
the pelvis as described in the 
lying Abdominal Retraction 
Exercise. 

Exercise: Bend one knee over chest — 

straighten leg upward — 
lower slowly, keeping knee 
straight and back flat against 
table. Alternate. 

5. Starting position: Lying — hands on ribs — 

spread ribs apart and hold 
ribs immovable while breath- 
ing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting the abdominal 
muscles. 

II. Standing List 
1. Standing Chest-Breathing 



108 TYPICAL DAY'S ORDER 



2. Standing Abdominal Retraction 

3. Tall Walk 

4. Sitting Alternate Rib-Stretching 

5. Standing Trunk-Bending 

6. Standing Rib-Breathing 

1. Starting position: St smdiug — hands on hips, 

raise chest high and hold 
chest high while breathing 
deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting abdominal mus- 
cles. 

2. Starting position: Stand with heels four inches 

from the wall — hips, shoul- 
ders, head touching wall — 
hands at sides. 
Exercise: Straighten the lumbar curve 

against the wall by contract- 
ing the abdominal and gluteal 
muscles. 

3. Starting position: Stretch arms forward-up- 

ward as if reaching, contract 
the abdominal and gluteal 
muscles, thus flattening the 
back. Stretch up chest and 
ribs — head up, chin in. 
Exercise: Walk on tiptoes on line. 



PROGRESSIVE STANDING LIST 109 



4. Starting "position: Sitting — hands on head. 
Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs on one side, repeat same 
on opposite side, then raise 
shoulders equally to simul- 
taneously elevate ribs on 
both sides. 

5. Starting position: Standing — hands on hips 

— straighten the lumbar 
curve. 

Exercise: Bend the trunk forward. 

6. Starting position: Standing — hands on ribs — 

spread ribs apart and hold 
ribs immovable while breath- 
ing deeply. 

Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting abdominal mus- 
cles. 

III. Progressive Standing List 

1. Standing Deep Breathing 

2. Standing Abdominal Retraction 

3. Standing Turkey Walk 

4. Standing Lateral Contraction 

5. Lying Alternate Leg-Raising 

6. Standing Trunk-Bending Forward 

7. Standing Rib-Stretching 



110 TYPICAL DAY'S ORDER 



8. Standing Rib-Breathing 

1. Starting position: Hernds behind neck — raise 

chest high and hold chest 
high while breathing deeply. 
Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting abdominal mus- 
cles. 

2. Starting position: Stand with heels four inches 

from the wall — hips, shoul- 
ders, head touching wall — 
hands at sides. 
Exercise: Straighten the lumbar curve 

against the wall by contract- 
ing the abdominal and glu- 
teal muscles. 

3. Starting position: Stretch arms forward-up- 

ward as if reaching, contract 
the abdominal and gluteal 
muscles, flattening the back, 
stretch up chest and ribs — 
head up — chin in. 
Exercise: Bend one knee upward — 

straighten leg forward — 
step. Bend other knee — 
straighten leg forward — 
and step. 

4. Starting position: Standing — hands at sides. 



PROGRESSIVE STANDING LIST 111 



Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevat- 

ing ribs — hold this upward 
stretch position and then 
contract side abdominal mus- 
cles. Alternate. 

5. Starting position: hying — hands back of the 

neck — knees straight. Flat- 
ten the lumbar curve against 
the table by contracting the 
abdominal muscles and roll- 
ing the pelvis as described in 
the lying abdominal retrac- 
tion exercise. (Page 78.) 
Exercise: Raise leg — lower slowly 

keeping back flat. Alter- 
nate. 

6. Starting position: Standing — hands behind 

neck — straighten the lum- 
bar curve. 

Exercise: Bend the trunk forward. 

7. Starting position: Standing — hands behind 

neck. 

Exercise: Raise one shoulder elevating 

ribs on one side, repeat same 
on opposite side — then 
raise shoulders equally to 
simultaneously elevate ribs 
on both sides. 



112 TYPICAL DAY'S ORDER 



8. Starting position: Standing — hands behind 
neck — spread ribs apart 
and hold them immovable 
while breathing deeply. 
Exercise: Inhale and relax upper ab- 

dominal muscles, exhale by 
contracting abdominal mus- 
cles. 



